Hetalia High- The Good, the Bad, and You
by Hollyberries and Vanilla beans
Summary: A girl with 'family issues' (aka YOU) starts attending Hetalia high when her mom dies and she has to live with her abusive father. At her new school, she meets a large assortment of all kinds of people, many of whom will become her friends and later help her through hard times and celebrate with her during the good ones. *1p and 2p characters included*
1. Chapter 1

You sighed and looked into the large, mahogany vanity up against the wall in your room that had been your mothers. It had a large crack in the top left corner of the glass and the wood needed to be refinished, but it was still beautiful. You smiled whenever you looked at it. _Mom loved this old thing... _You reached out and lightly traced the worn, carved rose that covered the shelf of the dresser. It was the last nice thing she had left behind (that your father hadn't sold off in spite of you) before she died and you got stuck with your father and brothers. All of whom had flown the coop as soon as they were legal.

_ Wow, what a great pep talk (y/n). I'm sure that's a good way to start today... _Pushing those thoughts to the back of your mind, you picked up your brush and dragged it through your bedhead quickly. Being late for your first day of school was probably not a good idea, despite the fact that you no longer cared about your future. You just wanted out of here.

**RIIIP. **_Ouch. _**RIIIP. **_Ouch. __**RIIIIIP. **__Okay, I really need to start brushing my hair before I go to bed! _You glanced at the clock by your bedside, 7:45. _Shit._ You went into the bathroom and whipped your toothbrush over your teeth. After spitting into the sink and tilting your head under the facet to get a drink, you went back into your room. Tearing open your closet doors, you pulled out a pair of gray skinny jeans, a white t-shirt with no logo, and an oversized black hoodie. You dressed quickly and did a final mirror check. _Perfect._ You said to yourself sarcastically. _I look like I don't give a shit. __Wonderful._ Throwing on the hoodie and snatching up the backpack you had crammed full of stuff the night before, you jogged down the stairs and found yourself thinking back to an earlier conversation you had had with your aunt when you were in Colorado for your mom's funeral.

_"Sweetie, I know this is hard for you. What with all of the __time you spent bonding and__ traveling around to hospitals with your mom while she was getting treatments... it's because you were the one she loved the most._ That had been said with a glare at your father who was across the funeral hall "mourning" over the loss of his wife with everyone expressing their sympathies for him. You wanted to throw up._ She continued, "__But __even though you've already worked your way through high school online, I still want you to still attend school during the week. As much as I wish I could take you away from that bastard, he's still your legal guardian. I think you would be safer going to school for the day rather than staying at home. And on your eighteenth birthday, Your uncle and I will personally drive across the country and pick you up so you can live with us. Okay?" _She had held you after the ceremony while you cried. _"Shhh, shhhh, everything's going to be okay..."_

So, she and your uncle had arranged with the new school where you were to attend for you to be there during the school day. Still taking classes so you wouldn't become an outcast, but you weren't required to do any of the homework and you didn't receive a grade, considering you had basically already graduated.

As soon as your feet hit the fist floor, you tiptoed. Down the hall, around the corner, and past your father's door. It was open a crack and you could smell the foul stench of his filthy room and hear his piggish snores. He muttered something in his sleep and stopped snoring. You flinched and froze. Unconsciously, your hand came to rest on the bruises that covered your stomach from his last drunken rage. He sighed and the snoring continued. You were good to go.

Not wanting to wake him up and face his horrible morning temper, you decided to skip breakfast and just start walking to school. Checking your back pocket to make sure your lunch money you had put there was still intact and slipping into your well worn black flats, you silently opened the door and snuck out, closing it behind you with hardly a creak. Pulling up your bag so it rested higher on your shoulders, you breathed out through your mouth and began the five minute walk to school.

*Writers Note- Okay, I love reading Hetalia high stuff. Hearing about the characters in school makes me happy. Sigh... so many fantasies... :) Sorry if this story seems really short! This is a pilot chapter, I will have another chapter (actually it's almost done and I'll probably have it up later tonight...) but I haven't yet decided if I'm going to let this series run for a while or not. Please drop me a line if you like this! I want to know if people think I can write stories with good plots! Thanks a bunch! Peace-Berries and Beans

P.S. Oh! Sorry, I wanted to let everyone know (if you didn't pick it up from the title) that this will be a 1p and a 2p ( Sane 2ps, thank you very much ) story.


	2. Chapter 2

You couldn't help but admire the school as you walked up the main outside stairs into the office building. The grounds very nice and the buildings large and new looking, there was a huge parking lot and several bike racks. It seemed like any other decent school. _I guess spending time here will be kind of fu- NO! _You mentally chastised yourself and immediately regained the 'I don't really care' attitude you had planned on upholding. _I'm just here to do my time and get out. That is __**it.**_ As you entered the office through one of the double doors, the other door slammed open and a dark complected boy with chocolate colored brown hair stormed out past you. He was obviously very pissed and he wasn't speaking English. From your guess, he was using very... colorful language. "Stupido Bastardo..." He whisked past you without a second glance and continued walking away at a brisk pace. You raised your eyebrows and snorted as you continued on to the front desk to speak with a very flustered looking secretary.

Despite not wanting to care all that much, you felt sorry for this older lady and decided that you should not be a total dick like the last guy. You pulled your hood back from your face and stepped forward, smiling softly. "Hello, my name is (f/n) (l/n). I just got transferred here. You wouldn't happen to have a schedule for me, would you?" She blinked and looked you up and down before her face brightened. "Of course! Please just wait here one minute while I check my files." She turned her wheely chair and started sifting through folders in a near by filing cabinet. She pulled out a smaller file, which she looked over quickly. Her eyes seemed to catch on a little stack of paper notes clipped together and after reading over the top one, her eyes met yours and filled with an expression you knew all too well. Pity. She wheeled back over to you. "Here you are, class schedule, lunch schedule, locker number, bus routes, and school map. If you have any questions, just ask one of the staff members." she handed you the stack of paper. "Make sure you give one of the colored notes to all of your teachers. They explain your... um... situation." She hesitated before continuing, "I know it might be intimidating to start at a new school halfway through your junior year, but don't worry, you'll be okay." The honesty in her eyes made you want to cry, despite knowing the fact that you had lost the ability to cry a long time ago. "Thank you." you responded and then you turned around to leave the building. "Good luck!" the secretary called after you.

You stopped at your locker and to your surprise, you got the correct combination on the first try. _Hm, maybe today won't be so bad..._ After stashing several additional folders you didn't need, you closed you locker and turned to look at the clock mounted on the wall in the hallway. 10_ minutes, enough time to get to class. _You checked your schedule and walked off to find your homeroom. On your way, you were surprised to recognize a familiar face. _Oh my god, it's Haley! _You walked with long strides across the hall and lightly grabbed the sleeve of her olive green sweater. She turned around to face you. Her expression morphed from confusion, to shock, to joy in about ten seconds. "(Y/N)!"

Haley Burns had been a close friend to your mother and your favorite babysitter when you were too young to go to the hospital with your mom. She was easily one of the coolest people to ever walk the earth, always encouraging you to think and use your imagination. And yes, that does sound kind of cheesy, but you loved her because of it. Just before your 14th birthday, however, she moved to become a teacher and guidance counselor. You hadn't kept much contact after that because your mom was having severe fluctuations in her health. Despite this, you still considered her a close friend.

She pulled you into a tight hug and laughed. "Oh my goodness, It's been forever! How are you honey?" You smiled slightly and quickly pushed the pain out of your eyes. "I'm fine." She pulled away to look at your face. She studied your features with serious concern. "Do you have plans after school?" You were confused. "Um, no... why do you ask?" She grinned. "Could you help me grade papers? I know about the program the school put you on, so it won't be a problem." You considered it for a moment. Heck, it was better than going home. "Sure, I can stay. Where do I need to go?" At that precise moment, the 5 minute bell rang. Haley jumped and looked at the clock before turning back to you and whipping out a pen. "Room 201, come right in and talk to me. There will be others there doing... stuff. Just so you know. Where are you going now?" You told her the room number and she marched off to show you your room. When you got there, she told you that she had a meeting to get to. "Don't forget about tonight! I'll see you there!" And then she was off, striding down the hallway in a flurry as only short people can do.

You took a deep breath and entered your classroom, lucky for you it hadn't started yet. You approached the male teacher sitting at his desk and silently extended your hand with one of the colored slips of paper in it. He looked at you momentarily before taking the paper and reading it. When he was done, he looked up at you. "Ah, yes. The principal told me you were coming. Welcome to Physiology and Anatomy! You can take that empty seat over by the window. Would you like to introduce yourself in class?" You shook your head quickly and he smiled. "I understand, that's okay." There was that same pity again that you saw on everyone's face. You forced a small smile then went to the window and sat down.

A two minute bell rang and the rest of the students filed into the room, some in groups and some by themselves. You tried not to stare, after all, it was bad enough being new, you didn't want to be known as the awkward girl as well. You didn't notice a person come up beside you until the uneven legs of the stool squealed as they were dragged across the tile floor. You turned to face forward and subtly glanced under your eyelashes to see who your lab partner would be. It was the boy from the main office.

He dropped his bag on the floor next to the table and didn't even try to hide the fact that he was looking at you as he sat down. "You know it's rude to stare, right?" he snarled irritably. Your head immediately snapped to look back out the window and your entire body tensed. His tone made you nervous. That tone never meant good things.

-Lovino-

Lovino immediately cursed himself for snapping at the girl sitting next to him. _WHAT is your problem idiota?! She didn't do anything!_ Guilt rushed through him. He awkwardly pushed his hair out of his face with one hand and sighed. He looked away and tried to apologize, but nothing came out. _Why can't I talk to girls? It's not that hard, Lovino! Just apologize! _He reached out and lightly touched her shoulder with his fingertips to get her attention "Hey-" Her reaction was immediate. She yanked away and stumbled off her stool. Her eyes were scared and she looked like she was about to scream. Lovino leaned back and put both of his hands into the air quickly. _Woah... is she okay? _"I-I'm s-sorry!" he managed to stutter out "I wasn't g-going to do anything!"

She looked at him for a moment, frozen, before nervously sitting back down on the far edge of her stool. She dropped her head to look down at the table, letting her hair fall into her face and cover her eyes. Lovino opened his mouth to apologize again but she spoke first. "I'm sorry. My mistake. I over reacted, and I'm sorry if I offended you."

Lovino sat in open mouthed silence for a minute before regaining the ability to speak. "N-n-no! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that, you don't know me... Strangers don't touch other people, I'm mean how creepy can you get..." _SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! _"I-I didn't mean to scare you, not that you're a baby or anything, I'm sure you could handle-" Her eyes flicked up and locked with his and he read the message that she was silently conveying. **Stop. **He gulped and looked away. He could feel himself blushing. Lovino took a deep breath and then let it out with a huff. "I can't talk to girls. At all." She didn't say anything so he turned back to look at her face. She wasn't smiling, but the (e/c) of her eyes said that she accepted that he was sorry. She faced the front of the room again and focused on the teacher who was now starting the lesson. "It's fine..." she murmured quietly, only loud enough for him to hear. Lovino stared at her for another moment before he felt his blush darkening and he had to look away again. He felt out of breath and his stomach fluttered oddly. _She's pretty... _

_*Writers note- Okay, second chapter done. Again, not as long as I was originally planning, but I really want to know if people are interested before I start getting into writing a long(ish) series that it turns out nobody likes. The next chapter will have more characters and I think I'll introduce some of the 2ps then... If you liked it and you have the time (and want to) please leave me a review, they make me so happy! ;) Peace-Berries and Beans_


	3. Chapter 3

The bell rang and you rose from your chair as the teacher dismissed you and recited that nights governmental homework to the rest of the class. You had made it through first hour (Physiology) without any additional problems rather than that first run in with the boy who you had later learned was named Lovino. It seemed that all of his friends called him Romano though, a nickname that you figured had to be an inside joke as he blushed slightly and started swearing whenever they used it to tease him. You had drawing second hour and it seemed okay. It was a small class and the teacher seemed pretty carefree. The hour had been mostly spent doodling in your notebook. Next was civics. From what had been discussed today, it was not going to be a challenge. You had completed a way more advanced curriculum for government online already. You knew everything that the teacher had covered, so you spaced out halfway into the hour.

During the beginning of lunch, you discovered that the school had a large field outside for recreational use that you could get to by leaving the cafeteria through the back doors. There were several groups of people scattered over the grass, some were goofing off while others simply talked and ate. There was a very large maple tree towards the middle of the open meadow and you decided it looked like an okay place to eat, seeing how it was currently unoccupied.

Your back pressed against the smooth bark of the shady tree and you let yourself slide to the ground. You set down the food you had grabbed, and payed for, off of the buffet in the lunchroom. There was a dry looking peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of Cheetos that was probably half full of air, a rice crispie treat, and the only apple that had, miraculously, not been bruised by the rough treatment of being washed (and probably dropped). You studied your sandwich warily as you unwrapped it. _Better than anything I've got at home, I guess... _

"Excuse me, miss?" Your eyes flicked up to see who was speaking to you. He was taller, with long blonde hair that had an odd looking, long curl sticking up from it, and light violet colored eyes. He just looked at you for a moment, not saying anything. The silence felt awkward and it bothered you. Finally, you took the initiative and spoke. "Is this your spot?" His face flushed slightly and he laughed quietly, pushing his wavy hair out of his face with one hand. "No, I don't own the tree. But I do sit here occasionally. Would you mind sharing the shade?" Tilting your head to the side, you considered for only a moment. _Well, it's not like I own the tree either. _You scooted over pointedly and nodded. He sighed with what sounded like relief, almost as if he expected to be rejected, before smiling and moving forward to sit down cross legged several feet away from you.

Neither of you spoke for a long time. But after awhile, the silence no longer bothered you. This guy had an air to him, quiet, calm, collected, and peaceful. With swift, hidden glances, you studied him. He seemed to just be enjoying the world around him, taking it all in as is he were studying something fascinating to him. The sun, the tree, the other students running and playing Frisbee in the field. _Hm, I guess shallow waters do run deep. _He turned and caught you staring at him red handed. You felt blood rushing to your face and looked away. He laughed, not meanly, but with a kindness and understanding that high schoolers should not have been able to posses (or master) as he had.

There was a teasing tone to his voice when he spoke. "If I am to be so honored as to be studied with such great intensity, then perhaps it would only be fair to share my name. I'm Mathew. Mathew Williams. Care to return the favor?" he extended his hand, like it was some sort of peace offering. You hesitated before placing yours tentatively in his. "My name is (f/n) (l/n)."

He smiled again. "It's nice to meet you." And then he withdrew his hand and settled back, beginning to eat his food. The two of you stayed like that for a while. Just enjoying each others presence and the warmth of the day. It was nice.

He collected his trash and stood, turning to you he said "Well, lunch is almost over. Care to walk with me?" You smiled and started to pack up your stuff as well. You reached for his out stretched hand and he pulled you to your feet. _Woah, he's a lot stronger than he looks. _The two of you walked back towards the main building.

You stopped at your locker. "Thank you for walking with me." He smiled softly. "Anytime... I'll see you around, (y/n)?" You returned the smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice. I'll see you around." He turned and walked away, swallowed by the students now crowding the hallway.

-Lovino-

Lovino stood at the end of the hall with his hand clenched tightly around the frame of his locker door. He didn't know why he felt this way. His head pounded with frustration. This emotion could almost be... jealousy? _Why should I be jealous?! _He told himself furiously. _I just met her today. She can walk with whoever she wants..._ _But... why was she __**smiling? **_He slammed his locker closed.

"Woah! Romano, what's got you so worked up?" Lovino grumbled, "Go away Antonio." Unhindered, Antonio continued to trot happily after Lovino as he stormed off down the hallway. "Ah, mi amigo, what's got you down? Girl troubles?" Lovino sputtered and blushed. "What?! No! Estupido!" Antonio's face lit up with a large grin and he increased his pace to stride confidently beside Lovino. "Ha, ha! Romano you can't fool me. Just listen, and I'll give you a great lesson in the ways of women..."

15 minutes and one black eye later, Lovino was seated in his 4th hour. He had decided to double up on math credits, therefore he had Algebra 2 this semester and Calculus the next. He hated this class. Honestly, he felt his IQ go up by just by walking through the doorway. Sitting towards the middle of the room with his brother and Antonio, they watched probably the most infamous delinquent in the county terrorize their frightened looking teacher. Snorting, Lovino turned to look at his brother and leaned forward, whispering quietly, "Mio dio, Allen is such a idiota..."

"You got something you need to say, shitface?" Of course he heard Lovino. He always did. "Io non stavo parlando con te." "SPEAK F*CKING ENGLISH, DUMBASS!" Mrs. Brasie scurried out of the room in search of help for what had to have been the 6th time that week. Lovino smirked... but only slightly, he wanted to keep his face arranged the way it was. "Non ti piaccio." Allen's face turned into a deep snarl, his maroon colored eyes gleaming, and he jumped to his feet. "YOU WANNA GO?! YOU LITTL-" The vice principle stormed into the room. "ALLEN! DETENTION ROOM. NOW." Allen froze for a fraction of a second before snorting and bending over to scoop up his bag. As he left the room his eyes returned to Lovino and glinted savagely. His face turned into one of his famous shit eating grins that showed off his missing canine. _Later._ He mouthed.

Lovino shuddered. He was going to have to watch his back. _Wonderful. That's just great. _Of course, he was not what one could call a coward. He was a lot of bark, but only bit if necessary. It was unclassy to fight without cause, after all. He'd be okay though. He always managed somehow. Lovino sighed and let his attention return to Feliciano and Antonio. "So, what were we talking about?" Antonio smiled deviously. "Why, your crush, of course."

You'd think one black eye a day was enough for him, honest to God.

*Writer's Note- Man, this story is coming along! Personally, I really like how this chapter turned out :) I'll have more soon! Pinky promise... Peace-Berries and Beans

*Translations (to the best of Google translates abilities, that is):

- _Io non stavo parlando con te__- _"I wasn't talking to you..."

- _Non ti piaccio__- _"I don't like you..."


	4. Chapter 4

_ Room 204, room 203, room 202, ah okay, here's 201... _You stopped in front of the classroom door where Haley had told you to come. It was about twenty minutes after the last class let out for the day. You were a little worried Haley would be angry about how long it had taken you to get here. In fact, you had gone so far as to put together your explanation on the way. Your final period had been in the.. what was it, North hall? Whatever, it was all the way across campus. Plus, your locker was on an entirely different floor. Letting out a nervous sigh, you pulled on the strings that tightened your sweatshirt's hood. You really didn't think Haley would call you out for getting here a little later than what might have been acceptable. Probably.

You could hear kids talking and screwing around inside the room. Huh, it sounded like more people than you thought it would be. You pulled your hood a little farther down over your face, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. A cute little pink and blue cupcake splattered into the wall several inches from your face after it was violently thrown and then deflected by someone in the room. The appearance of the cupcake was followed by an insult. "MATT YOU MOTHERF*CKING MOOSE HUMPER!" _Deep breaths, Deliberate steps, Deep breaths, Deliberate steps. _You walked straight up to Haley, who was sitting at a teacher's desk that was covered in tall piles of paper. She looked up as she heard the door close and smiled her brilliant grin at you. "(Y/n)!"

The room got a touch quieter as some of the people attempted to listen to your conversation. You nodded, "Haley, what can I do?" She handed you one of the largest stacks and pointed you over to a slightly smaller table that had been pulled up next to her desk. She pulled the chair out for you and gestured dramatically to the seat. "Please join me. I could use some civil company." She glared pointedly at a boy with black hair and a tattoo covered body that had just poised a small knife over his desk and had begun to carve something into it. "Kuro, don't even think about it." He attempted a look of feigned innocence and Haley rolled her eyes and snorted loudly through her nose. His blood red eyes made contact with yours and a confident smile curved across his lips. He winked.

You turned away quickly, dropped your bag on the floor beside the table, and sat down. Your head turned towards Haley. "So... you're in charge of detention, huh?" your voice sounded a little surprised and even more so, skeptical. She laughed. "Ha ha, yeah, it's pretty interesting, but I kind of like it. You know?" You nodded after a minute and then started on your work as she returned to hers.

After you had checked over about 1/3 of the way through the stack of papers you had been given, you realized how hot it was in this room. _Geez, it's like a frickin sauna. _You dropped your pen and pulled your hoodie over your head. Setting it over the back of your chair, you ran your hands through your (h/c) hair and let it settle back around you. _Huh, maybe I should get a haircut soon... _

Suddenly, a hand fell on your shoulder. You flinched away and looked up into Haley's suddenly apologetic eyes. "Sorry sweetie, I forgot. I wanted to tell you that I need to go make some copies for tomorrow. All of the guys here pretty much know the drill so I don't think they'll try anything. Are you okay staying here by yourself?" You blinked several times before nodding once. Haley smiled, relief washing over her face. "Great, thank you! This will save me so much time tomorrow! I'll see you in a bit." She gathered an armful of paperwork and headed out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

As soon as she was gone, a dark shadow fell across the table in front of you. The voice that followed it had a slight southern drawl. "So, what's a babe like you doin' in a place like this?" The guy (you couldn't very well call him a boy) had dark tan skin and brunette colored hair with an almost red shade of natural highlights flashing in the light. A dark pair of sunglasses rested over maroon eyes that you could only just barely make out. His lopsided grin showed off a missing tooth on his left side. His dark leather jacket and ripped jeans gave off a bad ass look. You did not like the feeling he gave you. People like him made you wary. The similarities between this guy's clothes and expression and those of your father from his high school pictures was uncanny.

You continued to look at the papers in front of you, pretending to read them over. He leaned in closer. "Aw, c'mon baby, don't be like that..." A voice interrupted him for across the room. "Leave her alone Al, shes obviously not interested in the unawesome you." You looked up as 'Al' turned his head to confront the speaker. "You know what Gilbert? Why don't you just SHUT UP!?"

"Stop yelling! Dummkopf..." A blond man with purple eyes and a scar on his face lifted his head up from his crossed arms that were laying on his desk. "Some of us actually use this time for shit." He put his head back down and returned to his nap. The guy sitting next to him flipped a small stiletto up and down in his hand. His check rested on his arm and his purple-ish/pink eyes portrayed nothing but disinterest in his surroundings. You looked at his knife and shuddered internally. _How is he allowed to **do **that__ here?_

'Al' refocused his attention and the two of you made eye contact before you could look away. _Shit. _He smiled triumphantly. "Well beautiful, you got a name or what?" You studied him silently for a minute before answering quietly. "If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" His grin grew even larger. "Maybe..." You sighed quietly and returned to checking papers. You didn't say anything. 'Al' waited. "(Y/n)." your voice was almost a whisper as you marked an A on top of a student's paper. "My name is (y/n)." _Urrgh! No! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Suddenly, he was entirely too close. His hair and left check brushed against your face as he laughed quietly in your ear. You froze unconsciously, unable to pull away. His scent enveloped you, allspice, smoke, and something else... He breathed, "Doll face, that was the smartest decision you're ever gonna make in your whole damn life." He pulled away and walked back over to his seat, whistling as he went. You sat in shock for a minute, still unable to move. You noticed several people looking at you with stares that varied from pity, to surprise, to interest.

At that precise moment, Haley returned. She took her seat next to you after setting her, now enormous, pile of papers back onto the main desk. "So, anything interesting happen while I was away?" You and 'Al' locked eyes. He winked and grinned. You looked back at Haley and then to the pile of papers that sat in front of you. "No, not at all..."

*Writer's Note- AMERICA, FUCK YEAH! Best character ever :) Well, I'm pretty sure everyone has a guess as to what's going to happen next, but since this is a reader insert, I though asking for opinions might be a good idea. The reader needs love interests, obviously enough. So, if there's someone you want 'you' to meet, then put the Hetalia character and a reason why in a review. The reason doesn't have to be long and you can say anything from: "This character helped me through depression, blah, blah, blah" or "We'd make beautiful babies, yada, yada". It Does not matter. I will pick (probably several, depending on how many people do this) of the Hetalia characters that get the most suggestions for, or the ones for whom I like the reasons for adding them. Thanks a bunch, hope you're liking the story so far! Peace-Berries and Beans


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING**: This chapter is a little... violent. It's got mature, slightly graphic details of abuse, so if that makes you uncomfortable, you might not want to read this. Just thought you'd like to know. Sorry if this kind of seems like a tangent to those following the story, I promise it's relevant! Peace-Berries and Beans

You tried to be quiet as you snuck through the back door, seriously hoping your 'dad' would be out at a bar drinking tonight. Today had been Friday, it had also been the fourth night you had stayed after school to help Haley grade papers since you started school last week. The first two nights, you had been home at a decent hour, plus your father had been too stoned to notice you even made it back. The third time however, he had been only slightly drunk and was very aware that you were home too late to have come straight from school.

The springs on the screen door creaked despite your desperate attempt to silence them with your deadlock grip on the door and a pace that would put a snail to shame. You glanced around to the other side of the kitchen at the clock hanging on the wall. _6:45. Damn it all. He's definitely going to call me out if he knows that school got out at 3. __I knew I shouldn't have stayed after I was done to eat the sandwich Haley brought me!_

Finally, the door was closed. Letting out a small breath, you turned around... and came face to face with your father. He had a beer in one hand and was leaning slightly, as if he was incapable of supporting his own weight in his drunken stupor. "Where th' hell wure 'oou, 'ou ungrateful 'ittle bitch?"You tried to look him in the eyes but couldn't. Instead you chose to look down at the scratched, tiled floor. "I stayed after school to talk to my teachers."

** SLAP**! A sharp, stinging pain tore into your check and your head snapped to the left as he slapped you full force with his free hand. "DONT LIE TO ME 'OU LITTLE WHELP!" He grabbed your chin aggressively and forced you to turn your head and look at him. "Wat wure 'ou doin', sleepin' 'round wit a bunch a disgustin, no-good, punks who're never goin nowhere wit their lives? HUH?!" His hand clenched tighter and he shook your head roughly. _If he doesn't let go he's going to break my jaw. __Make him let go. _You didn't think as the words tumbled out of your mouth. "Just like you?"

His right hand fell away from your jaw as his left swung the empty bottle up to whip across your face. You felt the bottle shatter as it slammed against your left temple and eye; glass shards dug into your skin. You let your knees give out beneath you and brought your hands up to cradle your face as you waited for his next hit. It didn't come. He snorted. "Who the 'ell am I kidn'. Nobody 'n their right mind wan' a ugly slut like 'ou anyways. Get your face clean'd up, cunt. Go t'da hospital or whatever, I don' care. Jus' don't tell 'em what happened. 'Else 'ou wont be walkin' the next time you go in there." He staggered out of the kitchen and you heard the door to his room slam shut.

You felt so relieved you could cry. _Oh my God, what was I thinking?! That was the stupidest thing I've ever said, he could've killed me. NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. EVER. _You grabbed a hold of the table and pulled yourself unsteadily to your feet. Dropping your backpack, you limped carefully around the broken glass over to the medicine cabinet above the sink where you kept a small, secret stash of money in an old allergy medicine box that was just for emergencies. Your father was more likely to check your room than here.

You split the wad of money and put half of it into each of your deep pant pockets. The line your aunt had always used rang through your head, _Never make it easy for people to steal all of what you have..._ After returning the box and closing the cabinet, you went to the freezer, opened the door, pulled out one of the packs of ice that you kept prepared for situations like this, and pressed it gently to the glass filled side of your face. You flinched and gasped sharply. _**Ow, Ow, Ow! **_You took another deep breath and told yourself to think reasonably before you pulled the ice away from your temple. _Just ignore the pain, you need the ice to keep the swelling down to make it easier for the doctors to get the __glass pieces __out._ Moving quickly, before your father changed his mind about letting you go to the hospital like last time, you walked through the living room and out the front door.

You looked up the dusky sky and sighed. It was about a 20 minute walk to the hospital from your house, but it's not like you really had any other options. After all, you definitely weren't certain you'd be able to get all of the glass out of your face. Setting off at a decent pace (for someone who had just been hit in the face with a bottle and might possibly be suffering from a serious head injury) you headed toward the area where you knew the hospital to be.

By the time you arrived at the emergency room, you assumed that you probably had a concussion. You had stumbled, and almost fallen, three times in the last five minutes and couldn't remember exactly when your birthday was. Plus, you felt seriously dizzy and a little nauseous as you walked across the cracked sidewalk. The melted bag of ice had become a nuisance, so you dropped it into the trash can that was located several feet away from the hospital entrance. You approached the automatic doors unsteadily and blinked several times as they opened and the obnoxiously bright lights of the waiting room made your sensitive eyes water. You took increasingly unsteady steps up to the front desk.

The receptionist looked up from some papers, her warm smile immediately turned into a shocked and worried expression. You could only imagine how you looked right now. Blood had dripped down and covered the whole left half of your face. You could feel the stiffness settle on your skin as it dried. And the glass shards lodged in your forehead certainly weren't helping at all. You swayed slightly as you attempted a controlled and calm conversation. "I-I think I might... have a concussion?" The room started to spin and suddenly the ground rushed up to meet you. **Thunk.** The receptionist's voice was slightly frantic and muted as she called for help. Footsteps echoed in the high ceiling of the room and they rung with a tinny, fading sound. The cold tiles of the floor made your nerves react as your body ached and your head pounded. Your nose twitched, registering the bleached smell of floor cleaner.

Suddenly, you felt warm, strong arms cradle your body as they flipped you over carefully and supported your back. One of the large hands reached up and gently cupped the back of your head, holding you as your face was tilted sideways. Brilliant sky blue eyes shone behind a thin rimmed pair of stylish glasses. They were etched with surprise and concern and completely dominated your vision. The guy's blond mane was framed with white edges as you started to black out. "Are you okay?" One last thought filled your mind as you lost consciousness.

_ Who the heck is this guy? _


	6. Chapter 6

_"__Wake up... WAKE UP... _**WAKE UP!**" You forced your eyes open painfully as a voice pierced through your conscience. "W-wha- what? Why?" Your dry throat ached and your words cracked. The voice responded with an almost surprised tone. "What do you mean why? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to fall asleep with a concussion? Geez." You were so confused. _Where am I?_ _What happen- oh. Never mind. _Memories rushed back to you , getting hit by your dad, passing out in the waiting room at the hospital, and then getting picked up by a strange guy about your age. _Huh, __interesting __day. _

Your hand reached up to touch your bandaged head carefully as your eyes flicked around the white walls and decor in the small hospital room before landing on a young man sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed. It was the guy from before. You sat up slightly, wincing, and studied him as his eyes watched you. His appearance was that of a typical jock. Build: strong. Hair: perfect shade of gold. Face: handsome. Eyes: a blue deep enough to swim in. Not exactly your piece of pie. Especially with the next words that came out of his mouth.

"So... am I gonna get a thank you, or is that a no go?" _Okay, wow. That's attractive. _Your eye twitched slightly with irritation. You said nothing. He was obviously waiting for a response. You felt your glare sharpen slightly at his expectantly raised eyebrows. _I am so not in the mood for this. _You sighed, irritation creeping 'unintentionally' into your voice. "I don't even know if I should dignify that with a response."

He uncrossed his arms and raised his hands into the air in sarcastic surrender. "Whoa Nelly! Stop the presses, we got ourselves a chick with an attitude!" Your glare had become a full on scowl. "What exactly would I be thanking you for?" He smirked. "For carrying the 'damsel in distress' to her room, of course." You felt a slight blush creep into your cheeks. "Don't they have gurneys for that?" He smiled. "Sure, but what kind of a hero would I be if I let the lady who passed out in my arms ride away from me on a majestic, rolling bed."

The scowl slipped off your face (despite desperate attempts to keep it there) and a genuine laugh actually managed to sneak it's way out of your mouth. He smiled again as you calmed down and sighed in defeat. "My name's Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. Miss..." he scooted back in his chair and craned his head to read the clipboard attached to the foot of the bed "(f/n) (l/n). Huh, pretty." Your eyebrows pulled together again. "Don't you have better places to be than sitting in the hospital room flirting with a complete stranger whose brain is suffering from way too much physical engagement?"

His smile grew to a grin. "You're not a stranger. I know exactly who you are." You frowned. "But I don't know-" "Mattie." He interrupted. You were confused. "Okay, what about him?" "You've sat with him everyday at lunch since you started school last week." _Well, that's a little... __stalker-ish__._ You shifted uncomfortably, "How do you know that?" He laughed, a warm, rich, and care free sound. "Don't look so creeped out! Mathew is my little brother. Well, step brother that is."

You were still confused. _Stupid concussion. _"Okay, and...?" He sighed, "Mattie's kinda... different. Not in a bad way, of course! He's shy and quiet so he doesn't really fit in with many people. He'd sit with me at lunch, but my friends... aren't exactly all that welcoming to him. No matter how many times I've told them to cut him some slack, they still get pretty harsh. I hated seeing him sit alone under that maple tree all the time, 'cause I'm supposed to look out for him, you know?"

He stopped momentarily and took a deep breath, watching you. "Last week, when I glanced under that tree and saw him sitting and laughing with someone... you have no idea how happy I was." His face was serious. "I asked him who you were the next night at dinner, he smiled for the first time in forever, looked back down at his plate and said, 'A friend'..." You and Alfred were both silent for a moment. Him in his serious state of mind and you in surprise. He adjusted his hands in his lap and clenched his fists tightly. Alfred fidgeted and looked away, but as he did, you thought you saw shame reflected in his eyes. "Thank you for doing what I didn't, and for being the friend he needs and deserves." You blinked several times before answering him, almost as if you were trying to clear the shock out of your mind. "You're welcome."

Several moments of awkward silence later, a doctor in a white medical coat strode into the room. "So young lady, how are you feeling?" You looked down at your folded hands resting in your lap. "Fine." His expression wasn't surprised, almost as if he had been expecting that answer. "Do you recall exactly what happened, or is your memory feeling a little faulty?" You hesitated. Your memory was fine, but you obviously couldn't tell them what had happened. _He'd kill me for sure... _

"I-I was cooking something and I had to climb up onto our counter to reach... the flour... out of one of the cabinets. I must have lost my balance and, um, knocked the bottle of beer off the counter and then fell into the broken glass..." Neither Alfred nor the doctor looked like they believed your story. "What kind of recipe uses beer and flour?" You looked at Alfred challengingly. "Shrimp. I was going to fry shrimp." His eyebrows raised further. "You live near school, right? Why did you walk all the way here by yourself?" You snapped at him, "Not everybody can get a ride at the drop of a hat, okay? My da-family, nobody in my family was home."

The room was silent for a minute. You looked to the doctor, careful to hide the nervousness you felt. One look into his eyes told you. He knew. He took a deep breath and let it out before he began to speak, "Well, he said, I guess you'll have to stay here for a couple of hours until someone in your... family... can come pick you up." Alfred opened his mouth to object but the two of them locked eyes and he slowly let his mouth close and he remained silent.

"Why don't we give her some time alone to rest, okay Alfred?" Your eyebrows raised questioningly. _Why do they act like they know each other? _Alfred caught your expression and sighed. "(f/n), this is my dad. Dad, this is Mattie's friend." The doctor's eye's lit up delightedly. "Ah! It's a pleasure to meet the girl who has helped to make my son so happy!" You flushed slightly. "Dad! Please, let's not embarrass anyone today, okay?" Alfred's dad playfully reached over and caught him in a headlock. "Embarrassing? Who you callin' embarrassing, son?" Alfred laughed and returned the horseplay lightly. "Please, old man! You couldn't take me if I wanted to let you win!"

"Ahem." A nurse stood with crossed arms in the doorway. "Gentlemen, a hospital is hardly the place for roughhousing." Alfred was released immediately and both the men rose to their feet apologetically. "Sorry ma'am." _Wow, at the same time... Someone was raised well. _The nurse continued. "Let's let Miss (l/n) get some rest okay?" She shooed the two of them quickly out of the room. Alfred twisted his head and called out to you a second before he was shoved into the hall. "Talk to you later, (f/n)!"

The nurse smiled kindly at you and started checking the only monitor that you were hooked up to. She showed you a little signal on the screen. "If you fall asleep, the alarm will sound and a nurse will come to wake you up, okay? Call if you need anything dearie." She bustled out of the room, moving on to her next patient in a hurry. You sighed and layed back into the bed. _Thank God this day is almost over... _

"You know, it's a real shame you didn't get to finish your 'shrimp', doll face. I bet they would have been delicious... Plus, I can't imagine anything sexier than you dressed in an apron cookin' me dinner." _And I spoke too soon... _You sighed and looked at the man that now stood leaning lazily against the door frame. "Hello Allen." He grinned, shoved his hands into his pockets, and confidently came into the room to stop at the foot of your bed. "Why are you here?" He tilted his head, gesturing vaguely down the hallway. "My brother got himself into one hell of an ass whooping party playin' hockey. I brought that sorry piece of shit in so he could get stitches and a couple of splints. It just so happened, that while I was heading downstairs to get some hospital food, I saw that _**asshole**_ carry you in here. I decided to hang around and I caught the drift of your conversation."

His grin disappeared and for the first time in nearly two weeks, you saw a look on Allen's face that contained neither sarcasm or anger. He came forward to stand at the side of your bed and your entire body tensed nervously. His hand reached out to lightly touch your bandaged head. You flinched away and made a soft, panicky sound. He murmured, "Hey, you're okay... I saw your face when they brought you in. Your dad really did a number on ya, huh?" You shushed him frantically, but he only snorted. "Calm down babe, nobodies around." Your breath still ended up coming out shallowly as you tried to calm yourself down. You covered up the slight panic in your voice the best you could. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" His face scrunched up in surprise. After a moment, he rested his palm against your cheek. Before you could stop him, he leaned in and pressed a kiss against your forehead. Your mind went blank.

"I won't tell if you don't want me to... on one condition. If he hurts you again; if you get scared, you have to _**call me.**_ I don't care when it is, where it is, or how far away I am. I will get to you as soon as I possibly can." He picked a pen up off the nightstand beside the hospital bed. Grasping your hand firmly, he proceed to scribble down his phone number across the back of your wrist. He straightened to full height and watched you attempt to rearrange the mush that had become your mind. He laughed, but it wasn't his 'tough guy' laugh. It was... sweet... almost gentle.

"People call me a lot of things, you know? A jackass, a prick, an idiot, but only a few people actually know the whole me. I'm stubborn. I will _**NEVER **_give up on something I want. Which, in case you didn't know, happens to be you." He winked. "The next bit is all simple logic. When I want something, I always get it. And nobody touches what belongs to me."

You straightened defensively. "I'm not yours!" He grinned again, this time the one you were familiar with. "Ha ha, not yet you ain't babe. But don't worry, I'm working on it." He spun on his heels and strode cockily over to the door. Before he had completely left the room, he looked over his shoulder and his eyes softened slightly, "Don't worry gorgeous, you got somebody watchin' your back now." He flashed his missing canine and then he was gone.

You were absolutely and utterly... _Uggh, okay, I'm done. Just done! I can't deal with thinking about these... __**guys**__... anymore. I thought only girls could be this confusing. _You rubbed your hands over your face and pushed your hair out of your eyes. Turning your head to the window, you realized you had the perfect view of the city and the dim stars shining above it. _Well, I guess now's a great time to plan my weekend if I'm not gonna be able to sleep for God knows how long..._

*Writer's Note- Ugh, oh my goodness! So. Tired. Need. Sleep. Please let me know if this chapter is a dragger... I kinda though it might be considering that I think I fell asleep while writing it... maybe? So if there's mistakes, yeah, that's why. I'll go back and fix them later when I re-read the chapter after it's posted. Anyway, hope you liked it! Peace-Berries and Beans


	7. Chapter 7

It was Sunday afternoon, nearly 48 hours since you had been admitted into the hospital. The doctor in charge of you was going to let you leave Saturday, but your migraine and lack of coordination had still been way to obvious and he had refused to release you. Instead, he had brought Alfred in (and Mathew, which was a welcomed surprise) to keep you company. You had tried to object but he just laughed it off. "It's okay, (y/n), my sons would love to keep you company." You were still unsure. "But don't they already have other plans for this weeken-." "Of course not!" He laughed boisterously, "It's not a problem!" True to his word, Mathew seemed thrilled to be able to keep you company. Alfred... maybe not so much...

"Be careful, (y/n). The last thing you want to do is fall." Nearly two days of inactivity for your legs was not doing you any favors as Mathew helped you to stand shakily on the hard, tiled floor of your room. You laughed quietly. _It's funny how overprotective he can be sometimes without even knowing it. _You grasped his hands tightly as you tilted suddenly to the left. After righting yourself, you looked into his worried violet eyes. "I'm okay Mattie, really." His expression didn't change.

"Mathew, just let her walk for a bit, there's not much more damage she can really do to herself anyways..." The two of you glared at Alfred, who was sitting somewhat lazily in the chair pushed back between the wall and the window. "You're not helping, Alfred." He crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips, "Hm, well I don't owe you anything. There was supposed to been this awesome party at Mathias' place this weekend and-" Mathew snapped, "If I hear so much as one more whine from you about that party Alfred, I swear! He's not a good influence and you know it!" Both Alfred and you were taken back. Mathew hardly ever yelled... that wasn't part of his personality.

Mathew helped you sit down on the bed and then stopped, seeming to realize what he had just done. He looked at Alfred with apologetic eyes and sighed. "Alfred, hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I just don't want you getting swept into the wrong crowd is all..." Alfred looked away momentarily before returning his eyes to his brother and smiling. "Naw, it's okay Mattie, I know. I'm sorry, I'll quit talking 'bout it, I promise. Thanks for looking out for me." You looked at your folded hands, somewhat awkwardly. _Okay, major brother bonding moment happening here... _

Mathew turned back to you and smiled, "Okay, well, it's just about lunch time. Why don't Alfred and I go eat and then we'll bring something up for you, does that sound alright?" You nodded, "Of course, go eat. Thank you both for staying here with me. I-I know it might not really seem like it, but I'm happy I didn't have to stay here... alone." They both smiled warmly at you. Alfred came over to pat your head affectionately, all the while being cautious not to bump the bandages. "No problem. I'm sorry I keep whining about being here. It was kind of fun. Kind of." You snorted sarcastically and rolled your eyes (playfully, mind you) "Thank you Alfred, you really know how to boost a girl's self esteem." The boys laughed and then arranged your things to make sure you were all set before they left for the cafeteria.

You settled yourself back in the bed, sighing comfortably. Your head felt much better and the nurse said that you'd probably be released this afternoon. _I suppose sleeping until the boys get back would be nice, after all, the doctor said naps would be okay now. Besides, I'll need my wits about me when I get home. __**He's**__ going to be pissed I was gone for so long. _You stretched your back and shifted your weight on the bed, preparing for your nap. However, just before you could fall asleep, a dark head peeked into your room. You straightened in surprise. "Antonio?" He grinned and turned to call quietly down the hallway before entering the room. "Romano, I found her." He stepped inside the small room and came to a stop beside your bed. "Hola senorita. Rumor is that you fell and Romano wanted to come and check up on you to see if you needed anything."

At that precise moment, the red faced Italian came into the room hesitantly with his hands hidden behind his back. "H-Hey (f/n). Come stai?" It comforted you that he used the same greeted he addressed to you every morning. "I'm doing okay, thank you." He shifted uncomfortably. "O-oh, that's good..." You waited patiently. He was hiding something. His blushed deepened. Antonio playfully reached out and pushed his best friend lightly. "Come on Amigo, I'm sure she'll like them." Before you could ask anything else, a large bouquet of white lilies in a beautiful glass vase was presented to you. You were silent for a moment._ Lilies were mom's favorite flower..._ Lovino shifted anxiously again. "Look, if you don't like them-" You interrupted him to both yours and the two boy's surprise. "No! No, I love them!" Lovino's mouth opened in shock and you heard Antonio cover up a snicker. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much..." You reached up to touch a dainty, white petal with your finger tip. Lovino pushed his hands into his pockets and managed to work up the courage for a small grin. "So... you'll be at school tomorrow, right?" You smiled, looking up from the pretty flowers. "I should be, assuming the doctors let me out today."

You heard Antonio's phone chime and he dug it out of his pocket to read his latest text message. "Hey, Lovi, that's my work. We've got to go." Lovino pouted but remembered you were there and wiped the look off his face almost immediately. "Fine, let's go." He turned to you. "Get better soon, okay?" You smiled at him again. "I will, thanks for stopping!" His blush returned full force and he muttered something before leaving the room in a hurry. Antonio winked at you. "Adios, Amiga." You nodded and waved. "Bye Antonio." Then they were gone. _And now I can finally __rest__... nice of them to stop by though._

Your eyes closed sleepily and before you knew it, Alfred's voice was ringing loud and proud in your ear, almost jolting you awake.

"What are those and where did they come from?" Alfred and Mathew, holding a tray of assorted food items in his arms, stood just inside the doorway with confused looks on their faces. You pulled yourself up in bed. "W-what? Oh you mean Lovino's"- You stopped. Sitting on the table next to your beside was the large vase of tall stemmed lilies... and something else. A medium sized pottery vase filled with delicate, little blue flowers. You reached out hesitantly and brought the blue and green vase towards you to cradle it in your lap. "I-I think they're bluebonnets." There was a note tied to a piece of string wrapped around the vase.

You pulled the card off and held the little piece of paper up to your face. Your cheeks blushed slightly as you read it. **y****ou're beautiful when you sleep. ****l****ove- A **

Alfred came over to you but you quickly held the card to your chest. "I-It's nothing. A friend left them for me." His eyebrows went up with surprise but he shrugged it off and returned to his seat in the corner of the room, taking the apple off your tray as he went. Mathew scowled at him, "How are you still hungry?!" He grinned and shrugged, taking a huge bite of the apple in the process. Mathew rolled his eyes and brought you the rest of the food as you returned the vase and note to your bedside table. "So, we saw your nurse in the hall and she said she was just on her way to get your release papers. You'll be going home within the next hour!" You put an enthusiastic look on you face, or tried to at least. "Sounds great." _I hope 'dads' in a good stinkin mood when I get home..._

*Writer's Note- Heck yeah! I love me some hospital drama! I was gonna have 'you' go home in this chapter, but the last time my friend got a concussion, she had to stay in the hospital for a few days. On a side note: Personally, this chapter is probably my favorite so far just because of the flowers. I know that lilies are symbolic in Italy, and when I pictured Allen giving someone flowers, Allen is **A** #spoileralert, I thought of Bluebonnets (Texas' national flower, just in case you didn't know). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Stayed tuned for the next chapter which should be coming soon :) Peace-Berries and Beans


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING:** Attempted sexual assault. I'm sorry, my thoughts just got out of hand...

"... Besides, I can't find a job where I'd be good at anything anyway." Haley stopped grading papers and turned to use her death glare on you. You stared each other down. She looked away first. "You really should have more self confidence, you know that?" You rolled your eyes playfully and returned to your work. There wasn't much Haley needed help with on Tuesday afternoon, but hey, better than going home.

You had, somehow, managed to make it to school yesterday despite your concussion. Mathew had helped you to classes, and the two of you had sat together at lunch again, laughing at stories he told you about Alfred when he was younger. It had been fun. He was the first person who you had allowed to become close to you and who had really gotten to know you as a friend. Because of that, you felt almost... happy. Despite not wanting to admit it, it was nice to have someone really care about you again...

You shifted in the hard, uncomfortable, plastic chair and looked up to survey the kids in the detention room. Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis were all sitting in the back corner talking and laughing about some obscene prank that had landed them here. From what you understood, it had something to do with paint filled water balloons and the lubing of the bathroom floors. You didn't ask. Allen was absent after being temporarily expelled. Again, you decided it was better not not ask. His brother, Matt, was here along with Lutz, Luciano, and several of the other usuals. You sighed and finished organizing the rest of your papers. "Okay, all done." Haley looked up at you. "Well... then you're free to go. Thanks for staying!"

You smiled. "Anytime." After packing up your stuff and donning your coat, you headed to the door and opened it. "Adios Chica!" you nodded and let the door close quietly behind you. You started to make your way down the hallway and out of the building. _Left turn.. Right turn..._ Your shoes tapped eerily as you walked down the shadow filled, abandoned halls. _Well this is a little... creepy... even for me. _

You unconsciously picked up your pace in relief as the back exit doors of the school came into view with bright light shining through them. You blinked rapidly after flinging the door on the right open, trying desperately to adjust your eyes to the light. Sighing happily, you trotted down the steps and turned the corner around the edge of the school. _Wow(y/n), way to be paranoi-_ **"WHA- NO!" **you shrieked as you were pulled backwards.

A firm arm wrapped around your waist and another around your neck as a hand was placed over your mouth. "Shhh, shh, Tamago gata no kao. Be still. There is not need to fight me, _You're just going to hurt yourself._" Your eyes widened; you struggled frantically and you kicked at your assailant, trying to free yourself from his grip as he dragged you back around the building into a small alcove that marked the emergency exit doors of the large gym.. "MMMM- MM, MHHMM!" A soft, sickly sweet voice whispered happily in your ear. "Please don't try to yell, (y/n). No one can hear you, no one will come for you... just give up."

Your body was pinned against the wall. A lean frame effectively squishing you into the brick which rubbed your skin raw, while a blindfold wrapped tightly around your eyes. The pressure suddenly lessened ever so slightly but the inhumanly strong arms returned to your abdomen and neck.

The hand grasping at your waist drug short nails up and down your thigh before unhurriedly unbuttoned your jeans, allowing them to fall partway off your hips. A thumb dipped slightly into the waist band of your panties, lightly tracing circles on your exposed skin as it did. You felt the hand drag up from your waist to slide across your stomach, pushing your shirt up to your bra as icy cold fingertips pressed into your chest. _No, NO!_

The man yelped as you sank your teeth into the soft flesh of his palm. His hand moved away. _Perfect! _You opened your mouth to yell, only to have something shoved roughly down your throat. You coughed and choked uncomfortably on the hard piece of rubber like material and struggled against the arm firmly holding your hips. "_Bad girl- _You need to behave-" He stopped suddenly and you craned your neck to listen. _Footsteps._

You shoved backwards, surprising your assailant and knocking him off balance as you slammed him into the gym doors. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of him and his hands fell away. "You little bitch!" he hissed venomously. "HELLO?! Is someone there?!" Before you could pull the object out of your mouth and call for help, nails caught your hands and twisted into the flesh of your wrists. "Don't think that this is the end of our little game." Teeth tore sharply into your neck before the weight behind you disappeared and you were shoved to the ground.

_Ouch. _Your hands reached up simultaneously to remove the blindfold and the gag. You blinked as light flooded back into your eyes and choked as you drew the spit soaked object from your mouth. _A rubber Nylabone? __He __shoved a __**dog treat **__down my throat?! Are you KIDDING ME?! _The increasingly approaching footsteps grew louder. _Sounds like someone's running pre-_

A body whipped around the corner of the building, but came to a dead halt when the person glanced into the alcove. A very familiar body. Maybe too familiar by this point. "_Alfred?"_ He blinked rapidly and dropped his sports bag to the ground on his way over to you. "(Y/n)? Oh my God, are you okay?" He looked at your state of disarray and blushed slightly before his expression shifted from embarrassment to anger. Extreme anger.

"Who did this?" his words were quiet with rage. You held up the blindfold. "I have no idea." Throwing the objects in your hand to the ground, you straightened your shirt and buttoned your jeans. Running your fingers through your hair, you shifted uncertainly. "Alfred-" He interrupted you, "I swear to GOD if you tell me to be quiet about this-" You reached out and touched his arm before he could fully launch himself into a rant. "Alfred, _please..." _The two of you were locked in a battle of staring for several seconds.

He looked away first and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but I do NOT like this, and if you think-" You lunged forward, pulling him into a small hug. "Thank you, thank you so much." Alfred's entire body stiffened before he lightly placed his hands on your back and, ever so slowly, rested his chin on the top of your head. "Your welcome. But-" you pulled away and looked up at him uncertainly. "I am driving you home from now on. Got that?" You frowned. "Isn't that an inconvenience? You know I don't always stay this late?" He snorted. "Naw, I'm here after school for practice most days and I have time before we start to run you home when you don't stay. It's fine." He turned around and picked his Nike bag up off of the cracked sidewalk. "Ready to go?" You nodded.

You almost had to jog to keep up with his pace on the way to the parking lot. Upon arrival, he strolled over to one of the very last cars still there. You found yourself hesitating ever so slightly. "Well, here she is. My baby girl." Alfred grinned proudly as he stared at the bulky, red truck. "Um, you have a Bronco?" He looked at you. "Yes. Is there something wrong with that?" You took a half step back and put your hands in the air slightly. "Whoa, I never said anything bad. I just... didn't think you'd have one." His gaze was still challenging. "Sure... get in the truck. Little miss critical..."

You rolled your eyes sarcastically but moved forward, opened the heavy door, and almost had to jump into the passenger side. "Holy shit-" Alfred swung easily up into the driver's seat. "Having a problem, are we?" You eyebrows furrowed as you dragged yourself into your seat. "Not at all..." He laughed and started the car as you pulled the door closed. He snickered. "It's not shut." You tried again. "Still not shut." He teased in a singsong voice. You tried again, this time making sure to slam it as hard as you could. Alfred flinched. "Hey now! Be careful! Poor girl doesn't need to be abused!" You looked at him. "Do you hear yourself talk?" He shrugged before grinning again and putting the truck into drive. It growled lowly as he pressed the gas. "And we're off!"

You gasped and clutched at the seat as Alfred nearly floored it out of the parking lot. Frantically, you grabbed at anything which your hands could find purchase on. "Alfred, slow down!" His following laughter contained not a care in the world. "Don't worry baby, I drive like this all the time!" You closed your eyes as the car barely made it around a corner. Barely. _Alfred, so help me, when I die, I'm __definitely __coming back to haunt you!_

_*Writer's Note: Wow... that took me so long to write, I'm sorry! Writer's block is such a pain. Anyway, thank you Natali delatorre for the inspiration for this chapter and for convincing me to keep working on this story. Sorry it's not exactly what you wanted, but I've got... plans for Allen later. *insert evil grin here* I'm sure I could work out something with Japan though... Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Peace-Berries and Beans_


	9. Chapter 9

**Flip.** You glanced over at the folded piece of paper that had just landed on the corner of your desk. _Who...? _You glanced to your left and then back up at the teacher who was writing something on the board as the class took notes on grammar from their textbooks for what had to be the third day in a row. "Pisssst!" You looked behind you. Your eyes immediately found themselves trained on a medium sized girl with long, mousy brown hair and a flower clip pinning her bangs back. She gestured slightly with her hands and mouthed, _open it._ Hesitantly, you did as she asked. Inside the folded card was a messy message written in very... boyish chicken scratch. Huh. Strange...

**are you friends with allen?**

Your eyebrows crinkled in confusion. Why would she ask that? Quickly you wrote a short response below her initial question.

**s****ort of... ****w****hy?**

You felt a hand tap your shoulder and you jerked away. The blonde girl, with a ribbon holding her short, blonde hair out of her face sitting behind you, winked before gesturing for the note. Silently, you handed it to her. Several moments after you turned back around, the hand returned, once again offering the note. You took it and unfolded it to read the response.

**because he's been staring at you since class started. **

Surprised, you turned to your right and looked to the very back corner of the room. Sure enough, blood red eyes clashed with yours. You whipped around and shrank in your seat as you heard a low chuckle coming from behind you. Mr. Geoffrey looked up from the seat he had just taken at his desk. "Well, I'm assuming that everyone has thoroughly completed the assignment considering the noise I am hearing. Let's continue on with the lesson, shall we? Anything you have not completed will be homework." Half the class turned and shot dirty glares at Allen. He grinned and leaned back confidently, and you never once felt him take his eyes off of you.

-Later-

Five minutes before class was dismissed, the teacher stated that he had something to go do and said that we could just leave when the bell rang. Odd. None of the other kids seemed to think it strange though, as they started chatting with their friends sitting around them. _Well isn't this a laid back school... _The girl with the flower in her hair came up beside your desk as you started to collect your things. She watched you shove your English folder into your bag. "Helló! My name is Elizabeta, but you can call me Lizzie. It's nice to meet you!" She offered forth her hand.

You looked at her before taking her hand and shaking it slowly. "Hello, my name is (Y/n). You do know I've been in this class for about three weeks, correct?" She laughed. "Of course I know! I just now remembered I had never introduced myself." You nodded slightly; that was definitely **not** why she was here. Suddenly, she leaned (way too far) into your personal space, an excited glint in her eyes. "So... can you tell me why the captain of the Baseball AND Football team is giving you rides to and from school everyday?" You drew back uncomfortably. "Um, there was an... incident and he-" She squealed, effectively cutting you off from explaining 'the story' (aka the lie you and Alfred had made up). "OHMYGOSHAREYOUPREGNANT?!" You blushed as heads all around the room turned to stare at you. "NO! No, we're not even... together."

She looked extremely disappointed. "Aw man! And I thought I had a new couple to watch too!" You blushed an even darker shade of red. She looked across the room and seemed to remember something as a twisted looking, perverted smile rippled across her face. "What's up with you and _Allen_?" _Oh my gosh, this is NOT helping me stop blushing, dammit! _You looked at your desk, hoping she'd get the hint to just drop it. "Nothing." She didn't speak and you waited with your breath held, hoping she would just leave. You heard fingers tap your desk and she spoke in a singsong voice. "Alrighty then, but if you ever need to... talk... here's my card." Sure enough, she set a small, rectangular piece of paper on your desk with her name and number written in flowing cursive as she skipped away. Beneath her information was written 'Relationship Specialist'. _Great, now what did I get myself into?_ You hesitated before sighing and picking up the card, slipping it into the side pocket of your backpack as the bell rang and you moved to leave the room.

You let everyone else shove their way out of the room, standing patiently off to the side to prevent yourself from being trampled. You were about to slip through the doorway as hands wrapped themselves around your waist and pulled you back against a hard chest. The first thing that flew to your mind was the 'incident' that had happened the other day. You struggled and was about to kick your 'assailant' in the shin when a deep voice laughed into your ear and stopped you. "Slow down, baby girl, I just wanted to tell ya how much I missed ya." You felt your face flush and you were (momentarily) very happy that everyone else had already left the classroom.

He continued speaking before you could demand he release you. "So, let me get this straight, you're riding in some **dick's** car, morning and night, and you didn't even bother asking me first?" You shifted in his grip. "It's not what you think." He chuckled darkly, "Good 'cause I've already got dibs. Maybe someone, and by someone I mean myself, should let little 'Alfie' know that though, after all, he's gettin' a little too cocky 'bout getting chicks... deserves to have the shit beat out of him if you ask me..." Allen continued, purring roughly into your ear, "Mhmmm, but anyway, I'm very happy to hear that you aren't pregnant... by someone other than me, doll face..." You gasped and started struggling against his grip. "Allen! That's not funny, let me go!" He laughed again and turned you around to face him, his hands keeping a firm hold on your wrists. His eyes bore into yours and the lust you saw in them frightened you. "ALLEN LET GO!" He rumbled, "What if I say no, beautiful?"

"Then you and I would have a problem, wouldn't we?" Another voice called warningly into the otherwise silent room. Allen's aura shifted darkly and he turned. His hold loosened a little, but he did not let go. You turned your head to see who was attempting to save you. You breathed in sharply and couldn't help but shift back into Allen. A tall, serious looking... man (even though he was probably your age) stood erectly in the entrance. His icy blue eyes were slitted slightly beneath his combed back, blonde hair and in his arms rested several advanced level books.

His head tilted to the side ever so slightly. "I believe the Fräulein told you to let go. It is very rude to ignore a women when she is speaking to you, ja?" Allen's entire body tensed. "I don't take orders from you, blondie." The man's eyes narrowed again. "If you would prefer, I'd be more than happy to fetch an administrator to work this out. Is that what you want?" Both men stood their ground for another minute before Allen shifted uncomfortably and was finally forced to yield. He gently released your arms and leaned forward quickly to place a small, possessive kiss on your cheek. "Later, babe." The man turned in the doorway, allowing Allen a narrow passage out into the hall. They didn't stop glaring at each other until Allen was around the corner of the hallway.

You stood silently. The man turned back to you and a good majority of the seriously scary guy from a minute age vanished. He shifted awkwardly. "_ähh_, hi?" You nodded, watching a blush creep it's way across his cheeks. "I-I didn't interrupt something, well, of course I interrupted something, but I was going to ask if I interrupted something you, _Äh____,_ wanted to happen?" His blush darkened. "No. Thank you for interrupting." He made eye contact with you for a split second before he looked away again. "If he bothers you again in a way you don't like, you can, _ähhhm____,_ always ask me for help... j-ja?" The corners of your mouth lifted slightly. "Yes. Thank you-?" He looked at you and blinked. "L-Ludwig." You moved forward and hesitantly held out your hand. "(y/n)." He smiled, or at least he attempted to, and nodded.

You jumped as the final bell rang, signaling that you were late for fifth hour. You sighed heavily and muttered under your breath, "Great... that's exactly what I needed." He interrupted your train of thought. "Let me walk you to class." You looked at him questioningly. He blushed again. "I coul_d, __Äh,_ talk to your teacher, ja?" You tilted your head. "And tell him about Allen?" "N-no, I'm on student council and I could tell him you were doing something with me, if that's okay..." You nodded after a minute. "Yes, that would be very nice of you. Thanks." He sighed, looking relieved, and ran his free hand through his hair. "in Ordnung, where is your class?"

5 minutes later_, y_ou sighed (almost happily) and slipped into your seat as you nodded a thank you to Ludwig. He blushed again, ducking his head, before he left the room. He had been right, the teacher had excepted his excuse without question. _It was really nice of Ludwig to do that for me..._

Your thoughts re-centered as your teacher started talking. "Okay students, get your notes out from last Friday. We're doing the other half of the poverty lecture today." Half the class groaned audibly. Silently, you slipped the three ring binder out of your bag and opened it up to the loose leaf paper after you set it on the table. Uncapping your pen, you drew a slash line horizontally across the middle of the paper already half covered in notes and dated the lower half. You sat back, waiting for further instruction. The teacher glanced up from his computer screen and cast his eyes on the table you were seated at. "Miss (l/n), if you would be so kind as to re-awaken Mr. Karpusi." The teacher returned his eyes to the screen.

You glanced over to the boy seated next to you with his head resting on the table. Hesitantly, you reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. He straightened sleepily. "M'sorry, what?" He turned towards you. You nodded in the direction of the teacher and returned your attention to the paper in front of you. He didn't say anything but you still felt his eyes on you. You shifted uncomfortable after a minute. Your eyes turned back to him. "Is there something you need?" He thought about it for a moment. "May I borrow a piece of paper, please?" You looked at him. "Sure..." After ripping out a sheet of lined paper from your binder, you handed it to him. He nodded contently but still did not look away. "Is there anything else?" He smiled slowly. "Are you still looking for a job?" You froze.

"How did you-?" He blinked sleepily again before answering. "Ms. Burns is my counselor. She mentioned something about it. My mom owns a Greek restaurant just west of here and she's looking for another busboy. Do you still want a job?" _Huh... _You did remember mentioning trying to find a job to Haley last week. You nodded. "Your mom would be okay with that?" He shrugged. "Of course, come to Opa's tomorrow at 5:30 and you can talk to her about it." You smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Heracles nodded like it was no big deal. He repositioned himself, apparently to try and fall back asleep, before he jumped like he had remembered something. He lifted his head off of his hands. "Tell her Heracles suggested you." You nodded again and he fell back asleep. _Huh, I feel like that should have been harder... Could it __**possibly**__ be that things are going my way __**just this once**__ for the first time in God knows how long?_

_*Writer's note- Yay Ludwig! In case you want to know, I to am crazy about Germany and Russia :3 _#_Unofficialsisterhoodofsmexyguys. I hope I wrote Germany okay, I know he's not supposed to be very good at talking to the opposite gender but I figured he'd get better as the story progresses. Yeah, I think I said chapter seven was my favorite so far? Not anymore. On a side note, I'm not sure if anyone picked this up yet, but Canada's locked in the friendzone closet. Poor Mathew... If someone wants me to let him out, I can, but otherwise that is where he shall stay. I can make him a love interest in another story if it don't work out here, anyway. I'd do that, because deep down, everyone loves Canada. For some of us, maybe it ain't so deep down... but still! __Hope ya'll enjoyed! Peace-Berries and Beans_

**Translations:**

_in Ordnung: _Okay

_Äh/ähhhm_: (From what I understand) The German equivalent of 'um'


	10. Chapter 10

You pulled Oppa's heavy front door open and a little bell chimed brightly, announcing your arrival to several waitresses standing over by the kitchen entrance. Looking around as you stepped inside, you realized that this space was much larger than you had originally thought. You took a deep breath and then sighed, completely relaxed. Although there were only several customers here, the entire place smelled of lamb, garlic, and hummus. Your mouth watered at the enticing scents. "Kalós írthate!"An older women broke apart from the group and strode over to you. Her dark hair was long and curly and fell around her in glossy waves. She smiled as she approached you, her dark brown eyes shown, emphasized by her olive complexion.

You smiled. "Hello, my name is (f/n) (l/n). Heracles Karpusi told me that the owner of this restaurant is looking for another busboy. I'd like to apply." Her smile widened. "Perfect, you got the job." You were shocked. "Um, r-really? I don't have to fill out any resumes or anything?" She snorted. "Of course not. If my son suggested that you come here then no more needs to be said." She nodded to herself. "He is an excellent judge of character, after all." She turned away from you and went over to the kitchen. Feeling awkward, you folded your hands in front of you. When Ms. Karpusi returned, she came carrying an apron and she tossed it to you. "Ready for work?" You nodded, even though you were still a bit surprised, quickly donning the apron. "Good. Don't worry, you'll learn fast." You smiled, almost eagerly. _This shouldn't be that hard, there's hardly anyone here. __It'll __probably be a slow night from the looks of it... _

Wrong. Business at Oppa's began picking up at 6:30 and didn't slow down until after nine. At nine thirty, Ms. Karpusi told you that you were done for the evening and she asked if you could work the following night. Even though you were exhausted, you needed the money and therefore, agreed. Several waitresses wished you good night before you exited the cozy restaurant. You wrapped your arms around yourself tightly as you walked home. It was a beautiful evening. The moon was out and you could see hundreds of stars. But the lack of cloud cover was making the temperature drop severely. Your pace quickened when your house came into view. All of the lights were out except for the porch light, which you had had the foresight to leave on. Upon unlocking/opening the door and kicking off your shoes, you realized that the house was blessedly empty of your father. _He's probably off at some bar drinking. It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't get back until __after __I leave for school tomorrow... Thank God. _

Sighing with relief, you padded barefoot into the kitchen and fixed yourself a bowl of cereal before sitting down at the dining room table to eat in peace. As you munched, you pulled your English book, Beowulf, out of your bag (which you had left on the table before leaving for work) and read the assigned chapters for the night, just in case the teacher called on you to answer a question during tomorrows discussion. Like last time. Too focused on eating your cereal, you read several chapters ahead before you could catch yourself. _Shit! _You marked the offending pages with your note card, leaving the book lying on the table while you put your dishes into the dishwasher. _Well, I guess I won't have to read tomorrow__'s assigned chapters at least..__. _

Yawning, you picked your bag up off the table along with your book before heading upstairs. After changing into your Pjs and plugging your phone in to charge, you set your alarm clock and flopped down onto your bed. Dragging the covers up over you, you snuggled deeply into the warm comforter. Your thoughts drifted as you tried to fall asleep. _Heracles' mom is really nice. It was great of her to just give me a job like that... I wonder how long she's had the restaurant for. Huh, I'll ask her on break tomorrow night, I guess. __Wait, are you allowed to make small talk with your boss? _**Tap. **You jumped in bed as something hit your window. Holding your breath, you sat completely still in case it happened again. **Tap. **Rolling quickly out of bed, you tiptoed hesitantly over to your window. **Tap. **You pulled it open and stuck your head outside to see a figure standing below you in the yard.

"Hi there gorgeous!" You groaned, "Allen, how do you know where I live?" His grin was illuminated by the streetlight. "That's not important. Hey, this is kind of a weird question, but would you be okay with me staying here with you tonight?" You nearly fell out the window. "NO! Why would you even think that would be okay?!" His grin turned sheepish. "I got kicked out of my place." You sighed. "Allen..." He interrupted you. "Please beautiful! I don't have anywhere else to go! I promise I won't try anything funny!" You frowned. "My dad won't like it." His face lit up again. "But your dad's not here right? I saw him leave about an hour ago and-" He stopped talking as you stared at him, narrowing your eyes. "How long have you been here, Allen?" He shrugged and avoided looking in your general direction. "Awhile." You mentally groaned. _Gosh dang it... _"Hold on, I'm coming down." He hooted loudly but you shushed him. "What, do you want to wake up the neighborhood?! Be quiet!" You closed the window before exiting your room and jogging down the stairs to the front door.

He was waiting for you as soon as the door swung open. His face had this happy, sort of cocky, maybe even grateful, expression displayed across it. It made you want to hug him and hit him at the same time. You stood blocking his direct path into the house, determined to make him swear to play good. "Allen, listen to me." He smirked at you, "Yeah babe?" You scowled, "Don't call me that right now. If you're gonna stay here tonight then I've got some ground rules." He pouted and opened his mouth to object. "No, you WILL follow my directions or so help me, I will call the cops and report you for breaking and entering." He rolled his eyes slightly and muttered under his breath. "Wouldn't be the first time..." "EXCUSE ME?" He grinned, returning his focus to you once again. "Nothing important." You sighed. "Alright, you and I will both remain dressed the ENTIRE time. You will NOT be coming into my room. At all. And if my dad comes home, then you will get your ass out of here as FAST AS POSSIBLE. Do you understand?" He chewed his lip, considering for a moment, before nodding. You stepped aside and let him come in before shutting and re-locking the door.

Noticing the bag on his shoulder, you nodded. "You've got your school stuff and extra clothes right?" He snorted. "Uh, yeah. What am I, in fifth grade now?" Shaking your head, lead him upstairs into the room next to yours. Your brother's old room. Looking around, you were glad Dylan had left it in decent shape before he left, as you had only managed to clean it a couple of times. Allen dropped his bag next to the bed and flopped down backwards onto the dark, black and blue comforter. "Bathrooms across the hall, my room is next door, make sure to lock your door in case my dad _actually_ comes home tonight. You shouldn't have to worry too much though, you'll hear him, trust me." You moved to leave and return to your own room. "(Y/n)?" You stopped and looked over your shoulder. "Yeah?" Allen sat up on the bed. "Thank you." You smiled ever so slightly. "You're welcome. Sweet dreams Allen." "Yeah, you too, doll face." You rolled your eyes, flicked the light off, and closed his door.

Your door shut quietly behind you and the bed springs creaked as you settled down for what you hoped would be the last time. You buried your face into one of your pillows. You moaned, mentally chastising yourself for not getting enough sleep. _God, I'm going to be tired tomorrow. _Sighing deeply, you finally allowed yourself to slip into unconscious bliss. Everything important faded to the back of your mind, including Allen.

Bad idea. After all, everyone knows boys like him can't be trusted to follow the rules...

*Writer's note- Wow, I'm sorry that took_ so long_ to write. Still trying to push through my writer's block moments, that's for sure. This next chapter should be good. *evil grin* I've got some great ideas after all... And behind all that, is the deeper plot... which I haven't really revealed yet... huh. Don't worry, it'll happen! Thanks for sticking with the story! Peace-Berries and Beans


End file.
